5 players who have played in most T20 leagues

The late lamented Indian Cricket League which was established back in 2007 was the starting point of a revolution in cricket that completely changed one of the world’s oldest sports. Feeling threatened by the runaway league, the BCCI set up its own league, the Indian Premier League in 2008 and cricket has not been the same since. The IPL was a runaway success and provided cricketers with the sort of salaries that they never earned from their national team contracts.

Naturally, those who could make the T20 format their own veered towards the IPL and became specialists. Before long, new leagues were set up in Australia, South Africa, Bangladesh and Pakistan and many from among the same bunch of cricketers took their skills there. Although definitive data are not available on the players who have turned out in the highest number of leagues, it is still possible to take a look at some of the well-known players who have turned out in the most leagues. Here is a look at 5 of them and the West Indians naturally dominate the list.

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#5 Darren Sammy

The former West Indies captain’s problems with his cricket board are well known and over the course of his career so far, Darren Sammy has often been more involved with T20 leagues across the world. Although he used to be a decent slow medium bowler in the initial years of his career, Sammy has now become more of a lower middle-order power-hitter who can change the complexion of a game within a matter of a few deliveries. Six-hitting is now his currency and that has found a steady demand in the leading T20 leagues.

He has played for SRH, Kings XI Punjab and RCB in the IPL, while in the Caribbean Premier League, he has been a regular for the St. Lucia Stars. Sammy was also a member of the Hobart Hurricanes team in the BBL, the Rajshahi Kings in the BPL and lastly, he has been associated with Peshawar Zalmi in the PSL since 2016. He has played in 5 leagues in total.

#4 Sunil Narine

Sunil Narine batting in the IPL

Mystery spin has become a highly sought-after skill in T20 leagues across the world but the man who perhaps made it into an art-form was West Indies’, Sunil Narine. His effectiveness as a spinner in T20 cricket is beyond question and although there have been troubles with his bowling action; it has not deterred him from being the world’s premier T20 spin bowler. In addition to that, Narine has now become a very dangerous top order pinch hitter and that has made him an even more attractive option for T20 teams across the world.

He signed up for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL in 2012 and over the past six years, he has played for them. Narine has become one of their most important players during that period. In addition to that, he has played in the BPL (Barisal Burners, Comilla Victorians and Dhaka Dynamites), PSL (Lahore Qalandars), BBL (Sydney Sixers and Melbourne Renegades) and CPL (Guyana Amazon Warriors). Recently, Narine signed up for Montreal Tigers in the Global T20 Canada, which has become the 7th major T20 league for him in his career so far.

#3 Ravi Bopara

Ravi Bopara in action for Kings XI Punjab

At one point of time, he was one of the most important members of the England limited-overs setup but Ravi Bopara was gradually eased out of the team around three years ago. In addition to that, he was often in and out of the team due to lack of form but there is hardly any doubt that Bopara could be a match-turning all-rounder on his day. However, his stop-start England career did not hamper him from having a flourishing career as a freelance T20 cricket and over the years, the all-rounder has played for teams in 6 T20 leagues.

He has played in the Bangladesh Premier League for two teams- Dhaka Dynamites and Chittagong Kings, while in the Ram Slam in South Africa he turned out for Dolphins. In addition to that, the IPL has seen him showcase his skills for Kings XI Punjab and Sunrisers Hyderabad, but the stint in the world’s most lucrative league wasn’t as good for Bopara. He has also played for Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League and the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League.

#2 Kieron Pollard

Kieron Pollard launched one to the fence for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL

Ever since he burst on to the scene with a brutal half-century in the T20 Champions League all those years in 2009, West Indian all-rounder Kieron Pollard became one of the hottest talents in T20 cricket and over the past 8 years, he has become one of the leading cricketers in the T20 league circuit. His effortless six-hitting, incredible fielding and catching abilities, in addition to his slow-medium bowling has made Pollard the quintessential T20 star.

Following that innings, he was picked up by the Mumbai Indians in the IPL and he has been with the same franchise since. In addition to that, he has played for Barbados Tridents in CPL, Adelaide Striker and Melbourne Renegades in BBL, Dhaka Dynamites and Dhaka Gladiators in the BPL, Karachi Kings in the PSL and lastly for the Cape Cobras in the Ram Slam. Recently he signed up for the Toronto Nationals in the Global T20 Canada, which make him a player who has turned out in as many as 7 T20 leagues.

#1 Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle

He may have scored two triple centuries in Test cricket and for most cricketers, that would be their biggest calling card, but for Chris Gayle it is different. The Jamaican has gone on to become the greatest batsman to have ever played the shortest format of the game and due to his regular troubles with his cricket board, he is available for most of the major leagues in the world. Although he is 38 years old, he keeps reinventing his game and stays on top as one of the world’s most dangerous opening batsmen in the format.

He has been an IPL legend of sorts and after a tepid stint with Kolkata Knight Riders, he played for RCB for 6 years before winding up at Kings XI Punjab in 2018. However, that is not all. Like Pollard, he has played in 7 leagues in total and his latest employers are the Vancouver Knights in the Global T20 Canada. Gayle has played for as many as 4 teams (Barisal Burners, Dhaka Gladiators, Barisal Bulls and Chittagong Vikings) in the BPL, 3 in the PSL (Karachi Kings, Multan Sultans, Lahore Qalandars), two in the BBL (Sydney Thunder and Melbourne Renegades) and the solitary stint at Highveld Lions in the Ram Slam. The left-hander has played for Jamaica Tallawahs in the CPL.